Display rack for panels



Dec. 5, 1950 F. E. THOMAS I 2,532,965

DISPLAY RACK FOR PANELS Filed July 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

F. E. THOMAS DISPLAY RACK FOR PANELS Dec. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJuly 29. 1947 INVENTOR. 9% a5? flown/1A flAma W Patented Dec. 5, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to anovel display rack for panels, such as wall paper panels.

Wall paper display has always been a problem in the industry. Variousmeans have been employed without success in an effort to avoid continueduse of the usual display books of wall paper which are not onlyexpensive'and unsatisfactory but which do not and cannot provide for newdesigns originated after the permanent book has beenbound. Moreover asbound in a book the wall paper is displayed to the prospective customerin a'manner that is least attractive.

The present invention is designed to avoid the use of such bound booksand to afford a novel wall paper display rack whereby wall paper may beattractively displayed and wherein the wall paper designs may rapidlyand easily be changed from time to time as desired.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel rack ofeconomical construction and capable offaffording hinged support for aplurality of wall paper panels and to afford means for an advertisingdisplay.

A more specific object of the invention is to design a rack adapted tobe mounted on a wall or other support, and which may be opened tofacilitate convenient connection to the panels and closed to afford aneat and attractive display.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a rack such as abovedescribed, a simple and efficient means for removably connecting thepanels to the rack.

Still another object of the invention is to position the panels so thatthey slope upwardly and forwardly to compensate for bending thereof asthey are moved on their hinged connections during examination of thepanels.

The foregoing and other objects and advantag-es of the invention willbecome apparent from a consideration of the following specification andthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel rack with panels appliedthereto;

Figure 2 is a front view of the rack;

Figure 3 is a rear View of the front section of the rack;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4- 2 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Figure 2; and I Figure:3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View corresponding to Figure 5.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figures 1 and2, the novel display device comprises a rear section f adapted forconnection to an-associated support 3, such as a wall. A front section 4is hinged at 6 (Figure 2) to the rear section and carries a hookBadapted to engage a pin l8 (Figures 1 and 5) on the rear section toretain the front section in closed position. The front section affordssupport, as hereinafter described in detail for a plurality of panel I2,with display sheets [3, such as, for example, Wall paper panels mountedthereon, as by adhesive.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 6, it will be seen that the rear section 2is a substantially rectangular frame secured to the support 3 as byscrews l4, and comprising a groove or slot adapted to receive anassociated display board (not shown). The front section comprises sidewalls 15 with substantially vertical rear edges adapted to engage therear section 2. The front edges of the walls l6 slope downwardly andforwardly and are connected to a similarly sloping front wall It withvertical slots 20 adapted to accommodate flexible hinge portions 22 ofthe panels 2. The side walls l6 and the front wall i8 are also connectedto top and bottom walls 2i and 23.

Top and bottom clamp bars 26 which slope parallel with the front wall [8clamp the hinge portions 22 against the rear surface thereof, said barsbeing slidably fitted within upwardly opening brackets 26 secured to therespective side walls H5 and the front wall I8.

Figures 5 and 6 show in detail the hinge portions 22 of the panels andthe manner in which said portions are applied thereto. In these figures, it will be seen that each hinge portion is in the form of aflexible double sheet 28 preferably extending the full depth of thepanel l2 and em bracing the rear edge thereof. The sheet it which issecured to the panel as by adhesive is inserted through the slot 26 andis bent against the rear surface of the front wall for engage ment withthe clamp bar which clamps the sheet against said surface.

It may be noted that the panels as best seen in Figure 4 slopedownwardly and forwardly to compensate for bending of the panels whichare generally flexible.

Thus as the panels are displaced from their normal positionperpendicular to the wall as best seen in Figures 1 and 5, the panelstend to bend downwardly at their forward edges. I have discovered thatby sloping the panels upwardly, this tendency is reduced, andfurthermore such bend- 3 ing as does take place does not cause shadowsto be cast over the front edges of the panels by the rear edges thereof.

During assembly and disassembly of the panels l2, the front section 4 ofthe rack is moved to its open position on the hinges 6, and afterassembly of the panels, the front section 4 is latched in its closedposition by the hook and pin device 8, lil to afford a compact andattractive display.

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exactembodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustrationand not limitation as various and other forms of the device will beapparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A display rack for panels comprising a substantially vertical rearsection adapted for connection to an associated support, a front sectioncomprising side walls with substantially vertical rear edges and frontedges sloping downwardly and forwardly, a front wall secured to saidfront edges and sloping forwardly and downwardly,

substantially vertical slots in said front wall adapted to receive saidpanels, a pair of brackets supported by said front section at oppositesides of said front wall at the rear surface thereof, each of saidbrackets having a slot open at the top thereof and sloping downwardlyand forwardly, a 1;!

clamp bar slidably receivable within said slots and having a surfaceparallel to said wall surface clamping the ends of said panelsthereagainst and a hinged connection between said sections toaccommodate access to said bar.

2. A display rack for panels comprising a rear section adapted forconnection to an associated support, a front section comprising sidewalls and a front wall connected therebetween, one of said side wallshaving a hinged connection to said rear section, a plurality ofsubstantially vertical slots through said front wall adapted to receivethe ends of said panels, a pair of upwardly opening brackets supportedby said front section behind said front wall, and a clamp bar slidablyfitted within said brackets and extending transversely of said slots forclamping said ends against the rear surface of said front wall.

3. A display rack for panels comprising a rear section adapted to beconnected to an associated support, a hollow front section having ahinged connection to the rear section, a plurality of vertical slotsthrough the front section adapted to receive the ends of said panels, apair of brackets within said front section, and a clamp bar slidablyfitted in said brackets and extending transversely of said slots toclamp said ends.

FLORIS E. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,585 Perkins et al Nov. 30,1875 493,304 Shaffer Mar. 1, 1893 838,004 Bryant Dec. 11, 1906 1,890,182Hunter Dec. 6, 1932

